OBJECTIVETo evaluate efficacy, safety, and feasibility of maintenance therapy with capecitabine after fluoropyrimidines/oxaliplatin or fluoropyrimidines/irinotecan chemotherapy in patients with incurable colorectal cancer.

METHODSSeventy-three hospitalized patients with incurable colorectal cancer who received fluoropyrimidines/oxaliplatin or fluoropyrimidines/irinotecan as the first-line chemotherapy between May 2009 and December 2012 in our department were retrospectively analyzed. When the maximum percentage tumor size reduction was achieved, 42 patients received a maintenance therapy with capecitabine at 1000 mg/m(2) in two daily doses on days 1-14, and the other 31 patients without further chemotherapy or the maintenance therapy were followed up. The treatment was repeated every 3 weeks as a cycle until disease progression or intolerable toxicity. The efficacy and safety were evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis and Χ(2) analysis.

RESULTSThe 42 patients receiving capecitabine maintenance therapy achieved a median progression free survival (PFS) of 11.6 months (95%CI 7.8-15.4), significantly longer than the PFS of 7.4 months (95% CI 4.9-11.8) in the 31 patients without the maintenance therapy (P<0.01). The response rate (RR) after combined chemotherapy in the two groups were similar (42.8% vs 38.7%). Χ(2) analysis indicated significant reductions in the adverse reactions (P<0.05) in both groups after therapy without significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05) except for hand-foot syndrome.

CONCLUSIONIn patients with incurable colorectal cancer, capecitabine maintenance therapy following combined chemotherapy can achieve a prolonged PFS with a good safety and tolerance and retains the possibility of further intense therapy in the event of disease progression.